Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Unpacking engineering students’ challenges and strategies in a fully online learning space: The mediating role of teachers

  • Published:
Education and Information Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It has long been recognized that students’ experience within an online learning space is mediated by many factors, one of which is teachers’ behavior and practices. To better understand the online learning challenges students confront during the pandemic, the perspectives of the two key stakeholders (i.e., the students and the teachers) merit consideration. This study sought to unpack the challenges students experienced in fully online engineering courses and the strategies they used to overcome these challenges. To further advance this line of research, the study also examined how teachers supported students during online learning. This descriptive, mixed-methods study involved 483 engineering students and ten engineering teachers from five universities in the Philippines. The findings indicated that students experienced minimal to moderate challenges and used a variety of strategies to mitigate them. Many of these strategies converge with the strategies that teachers employed. However, differences in their responses were also observed because of their unique interaction with various external factors. This study also provided important information on how the use, misuse, and absence of appropriate pedagogical strategies could impact students’ online learning experience. Implications for classroom practices, policy-making, and future research are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Adarkwah, M. A. (2020). “I’m not against online teaching, but what about us?”: ICT in Ghana post Covid-19. Education and Information Technologies, 26(2), 1665–1685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asgari, S., Trajkovic, J., Rahmani, M., Zhang, W., Lo, R. C., & Sciortino, A. (2021). An observational study of engineering online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE, 16(4), e0250041.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, K. (2021). Novice teacher agency in the multi-level language classroom. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 34(3), 242–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baber, H. (2020). Determinants of students’ perceived learning outcome and satisfaction in online learning during the pandemic of COVID-19. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 7(3), 285–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltà-Salvador, R., Olmedo-Torre, N., Peña, M., & Renta-Davids, A. I. (2021). Academic and emotional effects of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on engineering students. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7407–7434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7321–7338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrot, J. S., Gonzales, J. M., Eniego, A. A., Salipande, A. L., Olegario, M., & Lourdes, G. (2022). Integrating financial literacy into the K-12 curriculum: Teachers’ and school leaders’ experience. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-022-00704-y

  • Bastos, R. A., Carvalho, D. R. D. S., Brandão, C. F. S., Bergamasco, E. C., Sandars, J., & Cecilio-Fernandes, D. (2021). Solutions, enablers and barriers to online learning in clinical medical education during the first year of the Covid19 pandemic: A rapid review. Medical Teacher, 44(2), 187–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergen, N., & Labonté, R. (2020). “Everything is perfect, and we have no problems”: Detecting and limiting social desirability bias in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 30(5), 783–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boelens, R., De Wever, B., & Voet, M. (2017). Four key challenges to the design of blended learning: A systematic literature review. Educational Research Review, 22, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, M. D. B., & Tumibay, G. M. (2021). A literature review: Efficacy of online learning courses for higher education institution using meta-analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 26(2), 1367–1385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, M. (2022). Digital affordances and teacher agency in the context of teaching Chinese as a second language during COVID-19. System, 102710.

  • Chu, A. M., Liu, C. K., So, M. K., & Lam, B. S. (2021). Factors for sustainable online learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 13(9), 5038.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cong-Lem, N. (2021). Teacher agency: A systematic review of international literature. Issues in Educational Research, 31(3), 718–738.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, W. E., McGinnis, E., Bai, Y., Adams, Z., Nardone, H., Devadanam, V., Rettew, J., & Hudziak, J. J. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health and wellness. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(1), 134–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crandall, J. (2021). Empowering teacher agency in the North: Reflections on teaching and learning and social justice in northern educational contexts through the lens of COVID-19. In I. Fayed & J. Cummings (Eds.), Teaching in the post COVID-19 era (pp. 27–37). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Damşa, C., Langford, M., Uehara, D., & Scherer, R. (2021). Teachers’ agency and online education in times of crisis. Computers in Human Behavior, 121, 106793.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, T., Chang, I. C. C., Chung, C. K. L., Doolittle, W. E., Housel, J., & McDaniel, P. N. (2021). The immediate impact of COVID-19 on postsecondary teaching and learning. The Professional Geographer, 73(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donitsa-Schmidt, S., & Ramot, R. (2020). Opportunities and challenges: Teacher education in Israel in the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Education for Teaching, 46(4), 586–595.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elaish, M., Shuib, L., Ghani, N., & Yadegaridehkordi, E. (2019). Mobile English language learning (MELL): A literature review. Educational Review, 71(2), 257–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fawaz, M., Al Nakhal, M., & Itani, M. (2021). COVID-19 quarantine stressors and management among Lebanese students: A qualitative study. Current Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01307-w

  • Franchi, T. (2020). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on current anatomy education and future careers: A student’s perspective. Anatomical Sciences Education, 13(3), 312–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, G., & Clarke, A. (2021). The development and impact of teachers’ collective agency during Covid-19: insights from online classrooms in Canada and China. Educational Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1997921

  • Gadsby, H., & Cronin, S. (2012). To what extent can reflective journaling help beginning teachers develop Masters level writing skills? Reflective Practice, 13(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia, R., Falkner, K., & Vivian, R. (2018). Systematic literature review: Self-regulated learning strategies using e-learning tools for computer science. Computers & Education, 123, 150–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghasem, N., & Ghannam, M. (2021). Challenges, benefits & drawbacks of chemical engineering on-line teaching during Covid-19 pandemic. Education for Chemical Engineers, 36, 107–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heikkilä, M., & Mankki, V. (2021). Teachers’ agency during the Covid-19 lockdown: A new materialist perspective. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.1984285

  • Ives, B. (2021). University students experience the COVID-19 induced shift to remote instruction. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18, 59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnakumar, S., Maier, T., Berdanier, C., Ritter, S., McComb, C., & Menold, J. (2022). Using workplace thriving theory to investigate first-year engineering students’ abilities to thrive during the transition to online learning due to COVID-19. Journal of Engineering Education, 111(2), 474–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lennert da Silva, A. L., & Mølstad, C. E. (2020). Teacher autonomy and teacher agency: A comparative study in Brazilian and Norwegian lower secondary education. The Curriculum Journal, 31(1), 115–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, L., & Ruppar, A. (2021). Conceptualizing teacher agency for inclusive education: A systematic and international review. Teacher Education and Special Education, 44(1), 42–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S., Hallinger, P., & Feng, D. (2016). Supporting the professional learning of teachers in China: Does principal leadership make a difference? Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 79–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, F., Sun, T., & Westine, C. D. (2020). A systematic review of research on online teaching and learning from 2009 to 2018. Computers & Education, 159, 104009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A. L., Wilt, C. L., Allcock, H. C., Kurth, J. A., Morningstar, M. E., & Ruppar, A. L. (2020). Teacher agency for inclusive education: An international scoping review. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1789766

  • Molina-Azorin, J. F. (2016). Mixed methods research: An opportunity to improve our studies and our research skills. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 25(2), 37–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller, C., & Mildenberger, T. (2021). Facilitating flexible learning by replacing classroom time with an online learning environment: A systematic review of blended learning in higher education. Educational Research Review, 34, 100394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulsen, M. F. (2003). Experiences with learning management systems in 113 European institutions. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 6(4), 134–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Priestley, M., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: What is it and why does it matter? In R. Kneyber & J. Evers (Eds.), Flip the system: Changing education from the bottom up (pp. 134–148). Routledge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, M. H. A., Uddin, M. S., & Dey, A. (2021). Investigating the mediating role of online learning motivation in the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Bangladesh. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(6), 1513–1527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasheed, R. A., Kamsin, A., & Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Challenges in the online component of blended learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 144, 103701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scanlon, D., & Connolly, C. (2021). Teacher agency and learner agency in teaching and learning a new school subject, Leaving Certificate Computer Science, in Ireland: Considerations for teacher education. Computers & Education, 174, 104291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seplaki, C. L., Agree, E. M., Weiss, C. O., Szanton, S. L., Bandeen-Roche, K., & Fried, L. P. (2014). Assistive devices in context: Cross-sectional association between challenges in the home environment and use of assistive devices for mobility. The Gerontologist, 54(4), 651–660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/

  • Siemens, G. (2006). Connectivism. Learning theory or pastime for the self-amused? Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm. Accessed 15 June 2022.

  • Singh, K., Srivastav, S., Bhardwaj, A., Dixit, A., & Misra, S. (2020). Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A single institution experience. Indian Pediatrics, 57(7), 678–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, J. (2012). Multiple-case study methods in governance-related research. Public Management Review, 14, 67–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suryaman, M., Cahyono, Y., Muliansyah, D., Bustani, O., Suryani, P., Fahlevi, M., Pramono, R., Purwanto, A., Purba, J., Munthe, A., Juliana, & Harimurti, S. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and home online learning system: Does it affect the quality of pharmacy school learning? Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11, 524–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taghizadeh, S. K., Rahman, S. A., Nikbin, D., Alam, M. M. D., Alexa, L., Ling Suan, C., & Taghizadeh, S. (2021). Factors influencing students’ continuance usage intention with online learning during the pandemic: A cross-country analysis. Behaviour & Information Technology. Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1912181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, T., Abuhmaid, A. M., Olaimat, M., Oudat, D. M., Aldhaeebi, M., & Bamanger, E. (2020). Efficiency of flipped classroom with online-based teaching under COVID-19. Interactive Learning Environments. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1817761

  • Teng, M. F., & Wu, J. G. (2021). Tea or tears: Online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Education for Teaching, 47(2), 290–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Lier, L. (2000). From input to affordance: Social-interactive learning through an ecological perspective. In J. P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp. 245–267). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varea, V., & González-Calvo, G. (2020). Touchless classes and absent bodies: Teaching physical education in times of Covid-19. Sport, Education and Society, 26(8), 831–845.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (2012). Thought and language. MIT press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weng, Z., Jingyi Zhu, J., & Kim, G. J. Y. (2019). English language teacher agency in classroom-based empirical studies: A research synthesis. TESOL International Journal, 14(1), 37–61.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Arts and Sciences, National University, 551 MF Jhocson St., Sampaloc, 1008, Manila, Philippines

    Jessie S. Barrot

  2. College of Engineering, National University, Manila, Philippines

    Alexa Ray R. Fernando

Authors
  1. Jessie S. Barrot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexa Ray R. Fernando
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Author 1 led the planning, prepared the instrument, wrote the report, and processed and analyzed data.

Author 2 participated in the planning, fielded the instrument, processed and analyzed data, reviewed the instrument, and contributed to report writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessie S. Barrot.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest/Competing interests

None

Ethics approval

The study has undergone appropriate ethics protocol.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was sought from the participants

Consent for publication

Authors consented the publication. Participants consented to publication as long as confidentiality is observed.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

Tables 1, 2 and 3

Table 1 Engineering Students’ Challenges during Fully Online Learning
Full size table
Table 2 Engineering Students’ Strategies to Overcome Online Learning Challenges
Full size table
Table 3 Teachers’ Strategies to Help Students Overcome Their Online Learning Challenges
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barrot, J.S., Fernando, A.R.R. Unpacking engineering students’ challenges and strategies in a fully online learning space: The mediating role of teachers. Educ Inf Technol 28, 9803–9825 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11598-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11598-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation